State v. Baker

986 So. 2d 682, 2008 WL 2116092
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided May 7, 2008·No. 08-54·Published·Cited by 19 cases

Opinion

986 So.2d 682 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Derrick BAKER, Sr.

No. 08-54.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

May 7, 2008.

*684 David W. Burton, District Attorney— 36th JDC, Richard Alan Morton, Assistant District Attorney, DeRidder, LA, for Plaintiff-Appellee, State of Louisiana.

Paula Corley Marx, Louisiana Appellate Project, Lafayette, LA, for Defendant-Appellant, Derrick D. Baker, Sr.

Court composed of JOHN D. SAUNDERS, GLENN B. GREMILLION, and ELIZABETH A. PICKETT, Judges.

*685 PICKETT, Judge.

Facts

CR-245-2006

The bill of information in criminal docket number CR-245-2006 states that on March 2, 2006, the defendant committed two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property by "intentionally damaging a Dodge Stratus" and "intentionally damaging a structure housing Popeye's Restaurant," wherein it was foreseeable that human life might be endangered.

CR-538-2006

The bill of information in criminal docket number CR-583-2006 states that on April 23, 2006, the defendant and Carla Poland got into an altercation at Poland's apartment.[1] As a result of that altercation, the defendant was charged with aggravated burglary, attempted first degree murder, and attempted aggravated rape. The defendant asserted he acted in self-defense.

On May 3, 2006, the defendant, Derrick D. Baker, Sr., was charged by bill of information filed in docket number CR-245-2006 with two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property, a violation of La. R.S. 14:55. On July 20, 2006, the defendant was charged by bill of information filed in docket number CR-538-2006 with aggravated burglary, a violation of La.R.S. 14:60; attempted first degree murder, a violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and La.R.S. 14:30; and attempted aggravated rape, a violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and La.R.S. 14:42. The defendant was arraigned under both docket numbers on August 3, 2006, and entered pleas of not guilty.

On May 18, 2007, the defendant entered a plea of guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property in docket number CR-245-2006. Jury selection in docket number CR-538-2006 commenced on May 21, 2007. On May 25, 2007, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of aggravated battery, a responsive verdict to attempted first degree murder, and not guilty of aggravated burglary and attempted aggravated rape.

On July 13, 2007, the defendant was sentenced in docket numbers CR-245-2006 and CR-538-2006, as follows:

1) aggravated criminal damage to property (two counts)-one hundred forty-four months at hard labor on each count, to run concurrently and consecutively to the sentences imposed in docket number CR-538-2006 and any sentence previously imposed which remains unserved;
2) aggravated battery-one hundred twenty months at hard labor, to run consecutively with the sentence imposed in docket number CR-245-2006 and any sentence previously imposed which remains unserved.

A Motion for Appeal and Designation of Record was filed in docket numbers CR-245-2006 and CR-538-2006 on August 31, 2007. The appeals were consolidated by this court.

Assignments of Error

The defendant, through his counsel, asserts two assignments of error:

1. The court erred in allowing details of prejudicial other crimes evidence during the cross-examination of Derrick Baker.
2. The consecutive sentences imposed are excessive for this first felony offender.

Additionally, the defendant asserts one pro se assignment of error, alleging that the *686 evidence was insufficient to support his conviction for aggravated battery.

Errors Patent

In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed by this court for errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we find there are no errors patent.

Sufficiency of the Evidence

In his pro se assignment of error, the defendant contends the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. We will address this issue first.

The defendant asserts that he was assaulted by Poland and that his conduct in response to that assault was justified and sanctioned by the law of self-defense.

In evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, a reviewing court must determine whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found proof beyond a reasonable doubt of each of the essential elements of the crime charged. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Captville, 448 So.2d 676, 678 (La. 1984).

State v. Draughn, 05-1825, p. 7 (La.1/17/07), 950 So.2d 583, 592, cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 537, 169 L.Ed.2d 377 (2007).

The defendant was convicted of aggravated battery. An "[a]ggravated battery is a battery committed with a dangerous weapon." La.R.S. 14:34.

To convict a defendant of aggravated battery, the prosecution must prove that the defendant intentionally used force or violence upon the victim, that the force or violence was inflicted with a dangerous weapon and that the dangerous weapon was an instrumentality used in a manner likely to cause death or great bodily harm.

State v. Freeman, 01-997, p. 3 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/12/01), 801 So.2d 578, 581.

The defendant testified that Poland came from the kitchen and cornered him in the hall with a knife. She then stated she would teach him a lesson and started swinging the knife at him. The defendant took the knife from Poland and she continued to come at him, hitting him, and cussing him. The defendant then testified that "I had the knife in my left hand, and I was doing that right there." The defendant further testified that Poland was between him and the only exit during the altercation. Additionally, as he was fleeing the apartment, Poland grabbed him "behind the shirt, steady trying to attack [him]."

Poland testified that she was on the porch when the defendant grabbed her around the neck and dragged her into the bedroom where he tried to rape her. Poland further testified that she was able to run into the hallway where the defendant punched her several times and said he would kill her. The defendant then ran out of the apartment. It was not until Poland was outside the apartment that she realized she had been stabbed.

The evidence clearly proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intentionally cut Poland with a knife. However, the defendant claims he acted in self-defense. At the time of the offense, the law provided for the use of force or violence in defense as follows:

The use of force or violence upon the person of another is justifiable, when committed for the purpose of preventing a forcible offense against the person or a forcible offense or trespass against property in a person's lawful possession; provided that the force or violence used *687 must be reasonable and apparently necessary to prevent such offense, and that this article shall not apply where the force or violence results in a homicide.

La.R.S. 14:19.

[I]n an act that did not result in a death, there is a twofold inquiry: (1) from the facts presented, was the use of forc

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State v. Baker, 986 So. 2d 682, 2008 WL 2116092 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

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